“I understood the complexity of taking a socially taboo topic and analyzing it through a critical and nonbiased lens,” says Alina Padilla-Miller, Senior Instructor for NMC 427 – Digital Pornography, over email.
She says, “My goal with this course was to keep the sociological framework but expand on it by examining the history, diffusion of innovation, political/legal issues, freedom of speech, economy, big data, culture and the effects of digital pornography we see today.
Padilla-Miller says over email that she has been, “interested in the immense impact that science and technology have had on modern civilization since I was an undergraduate.”
She earned her bachelor’s in Communication and Recording Arts at the University of Colorado, earned her master’s in Digital Media at the University of Washington, and got her PhD in Communication and Society at the University of Oregon.
She explains over email that, “I came to OSU in 2014 to teach NMC 301 writing for the media professional. Since then, I have designed/redesigned and taught over fourteen courses in various departments. These courses range from media production, critical media analysis, the music business and design for social impact.”
Padilla-Miller says that NMC 247 was first developed by a sociology scholar who has since retired from OSU, “it had an interesting history and reputation, and students were eager to take it, often there was a waitlist to get into the class. When this professor retired, the class was shelved for a couple years.”
She was then, “approached to redesign and teach the course because of my doctoral work with my dissertation, which was focused on examining online identity construction and performance, specifically looking at gender and sexuality in 3D immersive environments.”
She makes it clear that, “students will not see explicit pornography in this class, but they will engage with historical artifacts, media scholarship, cultural analysis, and discussions of technology and ethics in a safe, respectful, and academically rigorous environment designed for examining a complex cultural topic.”
For students that are unsure about the class, Padilla-Miller shares what she’s found her students have thought about the class.
“Students consistently noted that the course reshaped their perception of pornography, revealing its deep historical roots, spanning art, literature, sculpture, and ancient civilizations. Many were surprised to learn that sexual representation is not a modern invention, but a longstanding part of human cultural expression that has influenced societies for millennia.”
She adds on saying that, “a major takeaway is discovering how the adult industry has repeatedly driven technological advancement. Students are especially struck by how demand for adult content accelerated the adoption and development of new media technologies that we now use daily.”
She goes on to note in her email that, “students expressed that the course exposed them to the darker and more complicated aspects of the industry. This broadened their understanding of pornography as a subject intertwined with law, ethics, politics, and social justice.”
She says that, “many students described experiencing a significant perspective shift, moving from discomfort or simplistic views to a more informed, critical, and nuanced understanding. Students reflected at the end of the term that they valued how the course encouraged objective examination over moral judgment and broadened their worldview.”
She elaborates more that, “the course draws on historical context, scholarly documentaries that examine the industry from cultural, technological, or sociological perspectives, academic readings and peer‑reviewed research, and a required textbook written by a Women and Gender Studies scholar.”
Padilla-Miller says that, “these learning materials frame the subject through ethics, identity, culture, law, and representation, allowing students to study pornography as a media system, cultural force, and technological driver rather than as explicit material.”
She writes in her email that, “when students referred to the ‘darker aspects’ of the industry in their reflections, they are referencing the topics discussed, such as consent and labor conditions, human trafficking, privacy threats like deepfakes and non‑consensual content, stigma surrounding sex‑industry work, and legal debates over obscenity and free speech, which are explored through case studies, legal documents, documentaries, and academic research, all approached analytically and critically without viewing explicit examples.”
Padilla-Miller wanted to ensure that, “Oregon State University takes curriculum design extremely seriously, and NMC 427 underwent an extensive, multi‑level review process before being approved, ensuring the course meets academic and ethical standards, uses appropriate materials, and addresses the subject in a responsible, scholarly, and sensitive manner.”
She leaves this link for people to learn more about this process: https://curriculummanagement.oregonstate.edu/
